Earlier this month we got into the issues surrounding tech worker recruitment. In “Tech Workers: The Ball is in Their Court”, we discovered the disconnect between the leverage that tech workers now have because of their demand, and hiring managers’ lack of recognition of that leverage. Staying on top of industry changes is a challenging part of recruiting. Here is what some recruiting pros are talking about in the world of recruiting tech workers.
“Competing for tech talent never gets easier, nor is it a perfect mathematical equation,” Carroll says. “Instead it’s about understanding your market, knowing what your current and prospective employees are looking for, and doing your best to create the environment that attracts the right workers to your company.”
–Stacey Carroll, Principal Consultant at Payscale @HRStacey
“The best technologists don’t define themselves programming languages (e.g., Java engineer). Instead, they are phenomenal problem solvers, who will use the right tool for the job.”
–John Vlastelica, Managing Director for Recruiting ToolBox @Vlastelica
“In addition to knowing where and how to find “best fit” candidates, best-practice organizations also know what kind of recruiting and employment experience will attract these technical professionals. And, they tailor their recruiting accordingly. For example, best-practice organizations craft and communicate employment brands that they believe will be uniquely appealing to technical workers and that convey the unique employment experiences that their companies offer.”
–Elissa Tucker, SPHR, Human Capital Management Knowledge Specialist, APQC @ElisssaTucker
“Sponsor workshops at universities where you can hold the attention of the students instead of competing for their attention with other employers as you would in a career fair.”
–Jawid Elyacy, Information Architect for U.S. Bank @Jelyacy
“Employers may need to adjust their hiring models. Companies see two types of tech workers — those who want only to work under a longevity model and those who want to work only under a contract model. Local employers need to ask themselves, and decide, if they are willing to adjust hiring models to accommodate.”
–Jennifer Sheets, CEO of MasterStaff @JenniferSheets4
“If your recruiters don’t know the difference between Java and Javascript, for example, the candidate will have a low opinion of your organization.”
–Ben Sian, HRIS at AutoTrader @BenSianHR
“Provide an opportunity to solve cutting edge technical challenges, with other exceptional technologists.”
–Brad Hoover, CEO of Grammarly @Brad_Hoover
“They are history’s first ‘always connected’ generation. Steeped in digital technology and social media, they treat their multi-tasking, hand-held gadgets almost like a body part — for better and worse.”
–Scot Melland, CEO of Dice.com
We’ve got everything here from a tailored branding initiative, to training recruiters on the basics of tech. The recruitment and retention of tech workers isn’t going to get easier any time soon. The shortage has been projected to continue, and new recruiting tactics will be vital.
Perhaps you’re a shortage nay-sayer. Many recruiters aren’t reporting the same issues with hiring tech workers. This could be attributed to their ability to offer industry standard pay, location or any number of reasons. Regardless, these tech recruiting quotes can help recruiters on either side of that fence.
Where do you stand on the issue of the “talent shortage”? Are you finding it hard to recruit STEM workers? Click the link and let us know what you think on Twitter…Is the #talentshortage fact or fiction?
